Cork cutting and tapering machine.



No. 7l3,865.

Patented Nov. l8, i902.

A. FABBE. CORK CUTTING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

(Application filed m 25, 1901. Renewed Oct. 7, 1902.)

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WITNESSES THE NORRIS PETERS 5o, vnovuutum wnsumsmm. u. c.

No. 713,865. Patented Nov. 18, [902.

A. FABRE.

CORK BUTTING AND TAPEBING MACHINE.

(Application flied my 25, 1901. Renewed Oct. 7, 1909.)

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NTTED ANTHONY FABRE, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

CORK CUTTING AND TAPERING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,865, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed May 25, 1901. Renewed October '7, 1902. Serial No.126,369. No model.) i

tapering machines; and it has for its object to provide an improvedmachine of this class embodying means for maintaining a cork blank inproper position for cutting or tapering. In machines of the class underconsideration as ordinarily constructed the cork blank is gripped in achuck provided with movable jaws, and the chuck is elevated at theproper moment to present the cork blank to a circular cutter which cutsor shapes the same into cork form. The movable jaw of the chuck when itis brought into engagement with the cork blank has a tendency todisplace the same from the true fiat-lying position, so that when theblank is finally gripped between the two jaws of the chuck it is out oftrue and is destroyed in the cutting or shaping operation.Myimprovements, however, embody an element which is brought to bear uponthe blank at the proper moment and maintains the same in properflatlying position during the gripping of the blank in the chuck, sothat the blank is elevated into position for the cutting or shapingoperation in perfectly true arrangement.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cork-cuttingmachine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesectional View of the same, taken upon the line so a Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail longitudinal sectional view taken upon the line y y, Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, l'designates a portion of a cork-cuttingmachine embodying my improvements and provided with the customary chuck2, which embodies a fixed jaw 3 and a relatively movable jaw 4. Thechuck 2 is mounted upon a frame 5, which is pivoted upon the base 6 ofthe machine and which may be mounted upon a rock-shaft 7 for oscillationto move the chuck 2 into and out of operative position with respect to acircular horizontal cutter S. The blanks 9 are fed to the chuck 2 in thecustomary manner through a chute or trough l0 and are successivelyelevated from the trough by the chuck 2 into operative position withrespect to the cutter 8.

11 designates means for causing the endwise movement of the jaw 4 toengage and disengage the same with the blank. The jaws 3 and 4 arecarried, respectively, by spindles 12 and 13, respectively, whichspindles are journaled in standards 14 mounted upon the frame 5, and thespindle 12 of the jaw 3 may be provided with a pulley 15, whereby saidspindle 12, together with the pulley 15, the jaws 3 and 4, and the blank9 between said jaws, may be rotated in engagement with the cutter 8. Thepulley 15 may be rotated by means of a belt 16, which is held in taut oroperative condition when the blank has been raised by the frame 5 intoposition for the cutting operation.

17 designates my improved means for maintaining the cork blank in truearrangement, and said means 17 embody a projecting finger 18, which atthe proper phase of operation of the machine is brought into positivebinding engagement with the blank 9 to prevent displacement of the samein the trough or chute 10 while the blank is being grasped between thejaws 3 and 4 of the chuck. The finger 18 is carried by a bracket 19 andis capable of pivotal movement in a vertical plane, being normallymaintained in elevated or inoperative position by suitable tensionalmeans 20. The finger 18 is depressed at the proper phase of the movementof the frame 5 and is thus brought into engagement with the blank 9,which it holds firmly in position until grasped by the jaws 3 and 4.

The finger 18 is preferably somewhat elastic or resilient in nature andconsists of a single length 21, of spring-wire, which comprises twoparallel end portions 22 and 23, respectively, and a central transverseportion 24, which extends at right angles to said end portions. The endportion 22 constitutes the outer end of the finger 18 and is the partwhich is directly engaged with the blank. The inner end portion 23 isformed into a loop 25, which is hooked about a bolt 26, which is securedin the outer end portion of a short arm 27, which arm is pivoted to theupper end of the bracket 19, as at 28, and constitutes the means ofpivotal connection of the finger 18 with the bracket 19. The finger 18is adjustably secured in connection with the bolt 26 by means of a nut29, and it is manifest that the finger 18 by means of the loop in thewire 21 may be adjusted longitudinally as well as pivotally and may besecured in position of adjustment by the nut 29. The tensional means 20may consist of a single length of spring-wire 30, one end of which issecured to the bracket 19, as at 31, and the other end of which bearsupon the under side of the arm 27, as at 32. The

1 length of Wire is bent and coiled centrally,

as at 33, to obtain the requisite tensional effect. The up ward play ofthe finger 18 is limited by means of a stop 34, which is formed upon orsecured to the upper end of the bracket 19 beneath the point 28 ofpivotal connection of the arm 27 and the bracket 19. This stop isengaged by the inner end of the arm 27 when the finger 1.8 has reachedapredetermined point of pivotal elevation. The arm 27 also carries alaterally-projecting angular finger 35, which is engaged at the propermoment in the depression or downward movement ofthe frame 5 by thespindle 13.

The operation and advantages of my improvements in cork cutting andtapering machines will be readily understood by those skilled in the artto which itappertains. As the frame 5 is lowered after the cutting ortapering of one of the blanks 9 by means of the cutter 8 the spindle 13engages with the angular finger 35 and forces the spring-finger 18downwardly against the tensional means 20. In this manner thespring-finger 18 being pivotally depressed by means of the connection ofits carrying arm 27 with the bracket 19, the outer end portion of saidspring-finger is brought to bear upon the next cork blank 9 in thetrough or chute 10 to be gripped and elevated by the chuck 2. The means11 for reciprocating the jaw 4 of the chuck 2 move said jaw 4 toward thejaw 3, and while the fresh blank 9 is held firmly in position by meansof the finger 18 force the jaw 4 into engagement with one side of theblank 9 and move said blank into engagement with the jaw 3 at the otherside. In this manipulation of the means for gripping the blank by thejaws 3 and 4 the finger 18 prevents upsetting or displacement of theblank 9 by the contact of the jaw 4 with the same and causes the blankto be finally gripped between the jaws 3 and 4 in perfectly true andsquare position, so that the cutter 8 may subsequently out or shape theblank 9 into a cork of true symmetrical form and proper size. After theblank 9 is so gripped the frame 5 is raised until the blank 9 is broughtinto contact with the cutter 8,and the finger 18 follows the movement ofthe frame 5 and remains in contact with the blank 9 until apredetermined elevation of the frame has occurred, at which point thespindle 13 is disengaged from the angular finger 35 and thespring-finger l8 rises into free position under the impulse of thetensional means 20. The finger 18 rises to a sufficient height toprevent its obstruction of the several parts of the machine during theoperation of cutting or tapering the cork blank by means of the cutter8. When the frame 5 has risen to the required height, the belt 16 istautened and causes the revolution of the pulley 15 to revolve thespindle 12, the jaws 3 and 4, the blank 9, the spindle 13, and the corkblank is cut or tapered in the customary manner by the circular cutter8, which operates upon the revolving cork blank 9. After the blank iscut or tapered the frame 5 is lowered and the means 11 for reciprocatingthe spindle 13 withdraw the jaw 4 from the finished blank 9, which fallsor is removed from the chuck 2 in the customary manner.

It will be noted that the spring-finger 18 effectually bears upon theblank 9 to hold the same in position in the trough or chute 10 duringthe entire period in which it is being gripped by the chuck 2, causingthe blank to be squarely gripped by the chuck, with the result that theblank is presented to the circular cutter 8 in true position for cuttingor tapering. The spring-finger is automatically operated in the movementof the frame 5 and does not interfere with the operation of any of theelements of the machine nor necessitate the lowering of the speed of themachine. It results, therefore, that as many corks may be turned out ina machine embodying my improvements as in any machine as ordinarilyconstructed and that all of the corks will be perfectly cut or tapered,thus obviating all loss of material.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the deviceto various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to allsuch variation and modification as properly fall within the scope of myinvention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. In a machine of the class described provided withmeans for feeding the blanks and means for gripping the blank for thecutting and tapering operation, means for maintaining the blank in trueposition during the gripping operation, said last-named means embodyinga pivoted adjustable finger capable of endwise and vertical adjustmentand adapt ed to be brought into operative position in the movement ofthe frame carrying the gripping means.

2. In a machine of the class described provided with means for feedingthe blanks and means for gripping the blank for the cutting and taperingoperation, means for maintaining the blank in true position during thegripping operation, said last-named means embodying a finger having twoparallel end portions and a central transverse portion the outer endportion adapted to directly engage the blank and the inner end portionprovided with a loop adjustably secured on the frame of the machine,said finger being adapted to be brought into operative position in themovement of the frame carrying the gripping means.

3. In a machine of the class described provided with means for feedingthe blanks and means for gripping the blank for the cutting and taperingoperation, means for maintaining the blank in true position during thegripping operation, said last-named means comprising a standard carriedby the frame of the machine, an arm pivoted on the standard, tensionalmeans carried by the standard and normally pressing the arm upward, andan elastic finger carried by the arm and capable of endwise and verticaladjustment and adapted to be brought into operative position in themovement of the frame carrying the gripping means.

4. In a machine of the class described provided with means for feedingthe blanks and means for gripping the blank for the cutting and taperingoperation, means for maintaining the blank in true positionduring thegripping operation, said last-named means comprising a standard mountedon the frame of the machine, an arm pivoted on the standard and providedwith a laterally-projecting angular finger for engaging the framecarrying the gripping means and depressing the arm, a spring having acentral coil and secured at one end on the standard and bearing at theother end on the under side of the arm, and an elastic finger having twoparallel end portions and a central transverse portion the outer endportion adapted to directly engage the blank and the inner end portionprovided with a loop adjustably secured to the end of the arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses.

AN THONY FABRE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE VAIL HUPPERTZ, J. R. LITTELL.

